Khurshid to speak to Maldivian counterpart on Nasheed

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Last Updated: Thu, Feb 14, 2013 09:00 hrs

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will be speaking to his counterpart in Maldives which has raised strong objections to India's views regarding former President Mohamed Nasheed, who has sought "refuge" at the Indian High Commission in Male.

"I will be talking to the Foreign Minister of Maldives (Abdul Samad Abdullah) regarding the issue," Khurshid told PTI.

45-year-old Nasheed yesterday took refuge in the Indian High Commission in Male to evade arrest warrant issued by a local court in a case concerning the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court during his Presidency in January last year.

Sources here said that senior Indian officials are going to understand from Nasheed his future plans.

Earlier in the day, Maldives had denied India's claim that it held discussions with Indian officials regarding Nasheed, saying it cannot interfere with the independence of the judiciary.

"Maldives wishes to confirm that neither the High Commission of India in Male, nor any other authority of the Government of India has had had discussion with the Government of Maldives concerning former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed's reported request for 'refuge'," Maldives' Foreign Ministry said.

It said that after several inquiries by the ministry, the Indian High Commission had confirmed Nasheed's presence there.

"Nasheed's on-going trial is a matter handled by two independent State institutions, namely the Prosecutor General and the judiciary," the statement said.

The statement termed as "unfortunate" what it called the "public comment" by India on events instead of opting for bilateral discussions between the two Governments.

"It is further unfortunate that the Government of India has decided to comment on the types of candidates that could contest the upcoming Presidential Elections in the Maldives scheduled for September 2013," it said.

Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the Indian Ocean archipelago in 2008. He resigned a year ago after weeks of public protests against the judge's arrest. His deputy, Mohammed Waheed, succeeded him.